Local heart transplant survivor returned to full firefighting duty

Vallejoan Anthony Robinson, a 54-year-old San Francisco Fire Department captain, was recently approved to return to full fire-fighting duty, just years after receiving a heart transplant. Courtesy photo

Anthony Robinson isn't just dreaming about returning full-fledged to fire fighting any more -- he's living it.

The Vallejo 54-year-old firefighter, who received a heart transplant two and a half years ago, says he belongs to an elite group of known firefighters returning to full duty fire suppression work following such a surgery.

Robinson escaped behind-the-desk work with the San Francisco Fire Department last month, and is now working as commanding captain for the department's San Francisco Airport division. That, after three years -- excluding time he was out for the surgery and recovery -- of working what firefighters call "light duty."

"I joined the fire department to go in and help people ... going into burning buildings and fighting fires," Robinson said Friday. "I'm just excited."

Robinson added that passing the firefighter's physical exam for full fire suppression duty is a difficult task for a healthy 30-year-old, let alone a 50-something with a new ticker.

With a new lease on life and his profession, Robinson said he won't look to retirement for at least another four years.

Robinson, formerly of Benicia, moved to Vallejo with his new wife LaMonica last year, just months after riding a float in the Rose Bowl parade in Pasadena as a representative of the California Transplant Donor Network.

Contact staff writer Jessica A. York at (707) 553-6834 or jyork@timesheraldonline.com. Follow her on Twitter @JYVallejo.